Please explain these boards to a newbie

[Area 10]

I think the Maliko is probably the closest we have to a one-board solution for a wide variety of conditions right now, from pure flatwater sprint to long ocean DW with everything in between. It’s kinda right in the middle whereas all other all waters boards are slightly more oriented one way or the other (flat or bumps). The 2019 JL Sidewinder probably comes pretty close too (I don’t have DW or surf experience of the Sidewinder) but the Maliko has been refined year on year for just that bit longer.

The Vapor is really pretty much a specialist DW or surf race-type board. It’s very pleasant to paddle in flat water but you wouldn’t possibly use it even remotely seriously for a pure FW race.

[SoFloSupChick]

Just to wet your appetite on the Bark Vapor and The Naish Maliko :-)

Well, now you're just showing off! And yes - side-by-side comparison, please! (once you've had enough time with Maliko).

Maliko is faster in flat water.
Vapor is easier in very choppy waters.
Both are nice downwind.

This still doesn't make it any easier, haha! We have both the ocean with glassy days and the canals around here. But I think I just convinced my husband that he's going to need a new board if he wants to keep up, so... 

[burchas]

But I think I just convinced my husband that he's going to need a new board if he wants to keep up, so... 

I guess you're all good now. Bark for "him" and Maliko for you.
We'll expect your side by side review soon because with Luc you never know,
he might show up with yet a whole different board tomorrow, he is know for it

[yugi]

…
So I think I'm looking for a downwind-friendly board, that can handle choppy conditions well, and maybe even do a bit of surfing (I'm still figuring this thing out)...

So, here is my actual question:

From what I've seen, a couple boards that get recommended a lot are SIC Bullet v1 and Jimmy Lewis M14.
…

For the “bit of surfing” part of your quesiton:

Naish Maliko isn’t the turniest board. It’s light and fast but wants to go straight unless you walk to the back and pivot it. great board as mentioned here but has two downsides: not very turny and the nose is underwater a lot in choppy upwind.

Jimmy Lewis M14 is a nicely turny board but needs a lot of wind to become fun DW. Is more for a heavy person. The Rail is faster and stays turny (and is light!).

SIC Bullet’s are high volume and suit a heavy person well. They aren’t the turniest either.

Infinity Downtown looks like it has a nice kick in the tail which would make it fun to turn. Looks like a good allrounder. I haven’t tried it, nor the Vapor however.

[Luc Benac]

This one is for Area10.
I just weighted the Maliko and it is 28lbs against 25lbs for the Vapor 
Construction feels really sturdy so no free lunch on that one.

[SoFloSupChick]

OK, so here's a question...
If I hypothetically looking at a Maliko, which width should I go with?

Based on Area 10's comment in another thread, I was thinking 28". Also seeing how this would be my first "grown up" board, going from a 32" wide inflatable...

This was Area 10's comment:

"Btw, if you really like stability in a board then consider the 14x28 Maliko. I had a quick paddle on DavidJohn’s (DJ) Maliko in Melbourne (thanks DJ!) when it was probably only 10-15 knots and was surprised at how well it went in the little bumps. There’s a lot to be said for stability and a large planing area in messy downbreezing, if fun is your goal. I think maybe his 14x28 actually went better in downbreeze conditions than the 14x26 I subsequently tried at home. This runs contrary to received wisdom (which would say that in light winds the narrower board should be better), but that’s my experience. As I say, there can be benefits to more planing area. I actually think the DJ version off the Maliko (14x28) would be a very nice all round coastal board for a lot of people. We don’t all want to be wobbling around on narrow logs!"

[SoFloSupChick]

I guess you're all good now. Bark for "him" and Maliko for you.

Haha, you know it, burchas! 

[SoFloSupChick]

For the “bit of surfing” part of your quesiton:

Thanks for the input! To be fair, the "bit of surfing" is probably not going to happen all that often in our area. I've lived here for almost 4 years, and seen what I would consider "surfable" waves maybe 10 times or so.

[Area 10]

This one is for Area10.
I just weighted the Maliko and it is 28lbs against 25lbs for the Vapor 
Construction feels really sturdy so no free lunch on that one.

Yeah, the 2018 Maliko is a bit of a lump. They beefed up the construction for 2018 because the 2017 ones turned out to be a bit fragile. But the Maliko is PVC sandwich, right? That will make a huge difference to durability, and is what I’d choose for a production board even if it might add a couple of pounds. I’d buy a 2018 or 2019 Maliko but I think I’d give the 2017 a miss, even though it is lighter.

These boards are getting crazy expensive in the UK. A 2108 carbon All Star is now 4130 dollars US. If I’m spending that kind of money I want to know that the board isn’t going to ding easily, chip, or fold like taco in a surf race, or just fall apart at the seams like a jigsaw that has been shaken with only light normal use. I’m not made of money so I want it to last. It’s hard enough to sell a used race SUP anyway. Try selling a really tatty one, never mind the “ding tax” that some brands seem to expect you to pay for being an owner of their super-expensive boards.

[burchas]

OK, so here's a question...
If I hypothetically looking at a Maliko, which width should I go with?

Based on Area 10's comment in another thread, I was thinking 28". Also seeing how this would be my first "grown up" board, going from a 32" wide inflatable...

That depends on your weight/height. With my first grown up board  I went from a 12.6x32"
to a 12.6x27. I'm 5.8 and 180.

I'd say probably the 26 for you, knowing your conditions and the fact you won't be doing
downwinders most of the time. It will also give you some room to grow.

[SoFloSupChick]

With my first grown up board  I went from a 12.6x32" to a 12.6x27. I'm 5.8 and 180.

I'm 5'8" and a bit lighter than you... How was your transition to 27"? I just want to make sure I'm still having a good time, and not hating every minute of my life, haha Even though I don't foresee that happening, but that's what people say if you go too narrow too fast...

[burchas]

With my first grown up board  I went from a 12.6x32" to a 12.6x27. I'm 5.8 and 180.

I'm 5'8" and a bit lighter than you... How was your transition to 27"? I just want to make sure I'm still having a good time, and not hating every minute of my life, haha Even though I don't foresee that happening, but that's what people say if you go too narrow too fast...

My Trasiiton was seamless, in very short time the board felt too wide for me in most
conditions. These days I settle for 25" for anything. I found it to be the most comfortable
and wide but still not too wide to interfere with proper stroke.

Unless you have bad balancing issues, you should be fine. It also has a lot to do
with time on the water so the more you have and in different conditions, the better it gets.

When it comes to too narrow, it seems to me that the barrier starts under 25" for mixed
conditions and open water, this is of-course generalization but it's rare that I hear about
people struggling to adjust to a 26" board and even then, we're talking either much heavier,
 taller or both than you.

[warmuth]

   25 is usually the best compromise. The few actual good days of DW that Florida gets per year will be challenging on a 25 but the other 95% will be fine. I have a Vapor and it handles anything Florida can throw at it. The flying fish boards are fun DW boards and surf really well but are more technical than the vapor being more race focused.  Having “downwinded” the Florida chop in pretty much every condition on boards ranging from 23 to 29” I prefer the vapor as the one board quiver.

[Area 10]

   25 is usually the best compromise. The few actual good days of DW that Florida gets per year will be challenging on a 25 but the other 95% will be fine. I have a Vapor and it handles anything Florida can throw at it. The flying fish boards are fun DW boards and surf really well but are more technical than the vapor being more race focused.  Having “downwinded” the Florida chop in pretty much every condition on boards ranging from 23 to 29” I prefer the vapor as the one board quiver.

The Vapor is 26” wide.

SoFloSUPchick - you should by now have some idea of how your balance and athletic abilities compare to the average person. If your balance abilities are about average and you are averagely athletic and really enjoy SUP and progressing, then the 14x 26 Maliko should be fine for you. You should only need the 28” wide at your height and weight if you are going to downwind a lot, are relatively unfit, or your waters are very choppy. Moreover, a wider board is a lot less pleasant to paddle in flat or nearly-flat water because it makes getting the shaft really vertical much more effortful. Today I paddled a 31.5” wide board in pure flat water, and it reminded me of how much nicer it is to paddle narrower boards - I was having to really lean out over the rail to get the shaft vertical and this was tiring and felt awkward. So, you need to balance the advantages of going narrower in terms of pleasure paddling when you aren’t downwinding (and the considerable advantage when going upwind of a narrower board) against the ease of balance when you are downwinding. It sounds like where you SUP you simply cannot ignore the fact that your conditions are super-mild a lot of the time. So the 26 is a clear winner IMO, for you, in your conditions.

The Vapor is a little bit more stable, and the ghost carbon version is usefully lighter (the ordinary Vapor is around the same weight as the Maliko, maybe a tiny bit heavier). The 2018 or 2019 Maliko is possibly more durable. I’d give the 2017 Maliko a miss if I were you - it was light but not durable at all.

It’s hard to imagine anyone being too disappointed with a 14x26 Maliko. It’s a good board and very versatile. 26” wide is probably the most popular width worldwide. So if and when you sell it for something new, it should fetch a better price and be easier to sell.

Hope this helps.

[SoFloSupChick]

Yes, it does help a lot!
Thanks for the input, everyone!